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What a Lab Study Found Inside Dragon Fruit's White Flesh

A 2010 Food Chemistry study found natural carbs in dragon fruit that resisted stomach acid and fed good bacteria in the lab. What it shows, and what it doesn't.

FreshPitaya team

11/1/20261 min read

Box of fresh dragon fruit
Box of fresh dragon fruit

Short answer: a 2010 lab study found that natural carbohydrates in dragon fruit flesh resisted simulated stomach acid and fed "good" gut bacteria in test tubes. It was a lab study, not a human trial, so it shows potential, not proof.

What the researchers did

A team of food scientists, including researchers at the University of Reading (UK), analyzed the flesh of white and red dragon fruit. They found glucose, fructose and a group of natural carbohydrates called oligosaccharides. They then extracted those oligosaccharides and ran three lab tests.

What they found

  • Stomach acid: in artificial human gastric juice, at most 4.04% of the oligosaccharides were broken down. In other words, about 96% resisted.

  • Digestive enzyme: human alpha-amylase broke down up to 34.88%, so a good part survived.

  • Good bacteria: the oligosaccharides stimulated the growth of lactobacilli and bifidobacteria, two groups of bacteria often called "good" gut bacteria.

Those results are what scientists look for in a potential prebiotic: something that survives digestion and feeds beneficial bacteria.

What it does not show

  • The tests were done in vitro (in the lab), using an extract, not whole fruit eaten by people.

  • It does not show a health effect in humans. That would need human trials.

How to enjoy dragon fruit

  • It's ripe when the skin gives slightly to a gentle press, like a ripe avocado.

  • Cut it in half and scoop the flesh with a spoon, or peel and dice it.

  • Store it in the fridge and eat it within a few days.

Source

  1. Wichienchot S., Jatupornpipat M., Rastall R.A. (2010). Oligosaccharides of pitaya (dragon fruit) flesh and their prebiotic properties. Food Chemistry, 120(3), 850–857. doi:10.1016/j.foodchem.2009.11.026

This article is for general information and is not medical advice.

Try it fresh: white-flesh dragon fruit in 5 lb boxes, packed cold and shipped free to all 48 states. Shop dragon fruit.